Yikes. I didn’t get a chance to post yesterday, AND I almost forgot to take a picture of this pizza before we ate it all. Sorry the picture sucks, I just took a quick shot of it with my iphone in the dark.
Rewinding to Saturday night, Eric and I took a break from working and ordered a quick pizza online from Papa Johns. While we were eating we decided to watch an episode (or two) of Iron Chef America. The commentator guy Alton Brown is my favorite guy on the show, but if I had to choose a chef, it would be the Japanese dude Masaharu Morimoto. Least favorite to watch? Bobby Flay – though Mr. Flay does seem to put together some good looking dishes from time to time. I was just reading on Wikipedia that Morimoto and Flay have an interesting past…
In 1997, when the original Iron Chef show traveled to New York for a special battle, he challenged Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto to battle rock crab. After the hour battle ended, Flay stood on top of his cutting board and raised his arms in premature victory. Not realizing that cutting boards and knives are sacred in Japan, he offended Morimoto who criticized his professionalism, saying that Flay was “not a chef”. Flay went on to lose the battle.
Flay challenged Morimoto to a rematch in Morimoto’s native Japan. In this battle, at the end of the hour, Flay threw his cutting board on the floor and stood on the counter yet again to raise the roof with the audience. This time, Flay won. Though they share a heated past, Flay and Morimoto, who are both Iron Chefs on Iron Chef America, are now friends. They even teamed – and won – against fellow Iron Chefs Mario Batali, Locke Michaels and Hiroyuki Sakai in the Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters “Tag Team” battle.
Good story.
The Works Pizza at Papa Johns in Jersey City, NJ
Iron Chef America
Papa John’s Pizza
724 Grand St
Jersey City, NJ 07304
(201) 451-7272
munch munch munch munch. I hate you.
Grrr…I hate when life gets in the way of all the fun stuff I need to do. I have been a little behind on blogging too.
I love Morimoto! He is great. I used to always watch the regular version of Iron Chef when I used to live in the US. I miss that show. It is always so interesting to see what they do with food.
Oh..you could have theme weeks…maybe one week eat mainly beef…or pizza or…something..sorta like Iron Chef??
Batali is the man.
i totally watched that episode!
Morimoto is the shiznit. Flay on the otherhand is an arrogant a-hole who occasionally dishes out kick-ass grub.
I prefer the original Japanese Iron Chef. As with anything, the original is the best. Not that the American version is total crap, but it just doesn’t have the same appeal. Now Hiroyuki Sakai…that man can cook.
omg i totally agree with the favorite and least fave iron chefs…except perhaps Cat Cora is up there with Morimoto. And uh…Michael Simon just freakin’ gets on my nerves. ALTON BROWN IS pretty annoying too. Especially in good eats – which is why i don’t watch that show. hahaha
Morimoto > Flay.